José Otero Dr. Michael T. Williamson ENGL 864 16 June 2014 Response: How Might Fanny Read Hemans, Field, and Rossetti? There are a few ways that I can see Fanny approaching Christina Rossetti’s poetry. In some poems, there are direct correlations between the action of the poem and Fanny’s situation. The most obvious of these is Fanny’s avoidance of Mr. Crawford’s advances. After writing a somewhat coded message to Miss Crawford, Fanny reflects that the note “would assure them both of her being neither imposed on, nor gratified by Mr. Crawford’s attentions” (314). In a more direct manner, the speaker in Rossetti’s “No, Thank You, John” shares similar views on the prospect of being engaged: “Don’t call me false, who owed not to be true: / I’d rather answer ‘No’ to fifty Johns / Than answer ‘Yes’ to you” (18-20). Clearly neither Fanny nor the speaker in Rossetti’s poem have any inclinations toward the men who are pursuing them. However, I would argue that although Fanny may share the same views as the speaker in Rossetti’s poem, she would not approve of the manner in which the speaker handled the situation. The poem appears to be a direct address to John in response to his pleas. Fanny would unlikely support the idea of speaking so openly about the situation. Also, the speaker in the poem mocks the potential suitor and deconstructs his arguments throughout. Again, Fanny wouldn’t approve of treating someone in this manner. To defend herself from the suitor, Fanny finds a way to suggest to Miss Crawford how she feels, which gets her message to the suitor and allows him to save face. Since Fanny’s world is all about appearances, I cannot see her reading this poem without feeling a sense of embarrassment that she may have similar feelings. And to express them directly would be out of the question. But Fanny might enjoy and reflect on the poems that deal with memory. Fanny states to Miss Crawford that “if any one faculty of our nature may be called more wonderful than the rest, I do think it is memory” (223). She then goes on to explain how powerful it can be at times, but also very weak. It can also sometimes be “obedient” and sometimes “so tyrannic, so beyond controul!” (223). In “Memory,” for example, Rossetti reflects on the power of memory. She also connects it with a sense of solitude, as no one has access to her memories but her. And in “At Home,” Rossetti shows some of the weaknesses of memory as a deceased family member is quickly forgotten. I’m not sure how she would have reacted to Hemans’ “The Wife of Asdrubal.” Similar to “No, Thank You, John,” Fanny may feel that wife in the poem steps out of her place and role. At the same time, she would probably feel the same way about the husband. Still, there seems to be a strong sense of duty and adhering to roles in Fanny’s ideology, so she may be scandalized by the poem because the wife should have died quietly with her children instead of attempting to enact a form of vengeance upon him by killing his children and pointing out his cowardice. Certainly the husband stepped out of his role in a much greater capacity, but Fanny doesn’t appear to use the inappropriate action of one person to rationalize her own inappropriate actions. For her, there are clear rules of behavior to be followed regardless of the situation. But I have the hardest time determining how Fanny would read Michael Field’s poetry. Number LII may be interesting to her as she comes across passages that suggest that women have greater perception of the future and take more pleasure in sex than men. For instance, toward the end of the poem, Hera tells Tiresias that “It is not Zeus gave thee power / To look beyond the transient hour” (75-76), explaining that it was because Tiresias had the experience of living as both a woman and a man that gave him the ability to see into the future. I’m not sure how Fanny would react to a line like this. Does she believe that women are more perceptive than men? Or does she hold that men are superior in this way? Or neither? Perhaps I don’t know enough about the real Fanny to make these determinations with any conviction. She appears to believe in the rules of social conduct, so that may limit her desire to read anything that may challenge those rules. At the same time, she is developing a sense of her own thoughts and feelings in Volume II as she gains more confidence. As she begins to speak out more and tries to obtain her own wishes, perhaps these poems will speak more to her.
Dr. Michael T. Williamson
ENGL 864
16 June 2014
Response: How Might Fanny Read Hemans, Field, and Rossetti?
There are a few ways that I can see Fanny approaching Christina Rossetti’s poetry. In some poems, there are direct correlations between the action of the poem and Fanny’s situation. The most obvious of these is Fanny’s avoidance of Mr. Crawford’s advances. After writing a somewhat coded message to Miss Crawford, Fanny reflects that the note “would assure them both of her being neither imposed on, nor gratified by Mr. Crawford’s attentions” (314). In a more direct manner, the speaker in Rossetti’s “No, Thank You, John” shares similar views on the prospect of being engaged: “Don’t call me false, who owed not to be true: / I’d rather answer ‘No’ to fifty Johns / Than answer ‘Yes’ to you” (18-20). Clearly neither Fanny nor the speaker in Rossetti’s poem have any inclinations toward the men who are pursuing them.
However, I would argue that although Fanny may share the same views as the speaker in Rossetti’s poem, she would not approve of the manner in which the speaker handled the situation. The poem appears to be a direct address to John in response to his pleas. Fanny would unlikely support the idea of speaking so openly about the situation. Also, the speaker in the poem mocks the potential suitor and deconstructs his arguments throughout. Again, Fanny wouldn’t approve of treating someone in this manner. To defend herself from the suitor, Fanny finds a way to suggest to Miss Crawford how she feels, which gets her message to the suitor and allows him to save face. Since Fanny’s world is all about appearances, I cannot see her reading this poem without feeling a sense of embarrassment that she may have similar feelings. And to express them directly would be out of the question.
But Fanny might enjoy and reflect on the poems that deal with memory. Fanny states to Miss Crawford that “if any one faculty of our nature may be called more wonderful than the rest, I do think it is memory” (223). She then goes on to explain how powerful it can be at times, but also very weak. It can also sometimes be “obedient” and sometimes “so tyrannic, so beyond controul!” (223). In “Memory,” for example, Rossetti reflects on the power of memory. She also connects it with a sense of solitude, as no one has access to her memories but her. And in “At Home,” Rossetti shows some of the weaknesses of memory as a deceased family member is quickly forgotten.
I’m not sure how she would have reacted to Hemans’ “The Wife of Asdrubal.” Similar to “No, Thank You, John,” Fanny may feel that wife in the poem steps out of her place and role. At the same time, she would probably feel the same way about the husband. Still, there seems to be a strong sense of duty and adhering to roles in Fanny’s ideology, so she may be scandalized by the poem because the wife should have died quietly with her children instead of attempting to enact a form of vengeance upon him by killing his children and pointing out his cowardice. Certainly the husband stepped out of his role in a much greater capacity, but Fanny doesn’t appear to use the inappropriate action of one person to rationalize her own inappropriate actions. For her, there are clear rules of behavior to be followed regardless of the situation.
But I have the hardest time determining how Fanny would read Michael Field’s poetry. Number LII may be interesting to her as she comes across passages that suggest that women have greater perception of the future and take more pleasure in sex than men. For instance, toward the end of the poem, Hera tells Tiresias that “It is not Zeus gave thee power / To look beyond the transient hour” (75-76), explaining that it was because Tiresias had the experience of living as both a woman and a man that gave him the ability to see into the future. I’m not sure how Fanny would react to a line like this. Does she believe that women are more perceptive than men? Or does she hold that men are superior in this way? Or neither?
Perhaps I don’t know enough about the real Fanny to make these determinations with any conviction. She appears to believe in the rules of social conduct, so that may limit her desire to read anything that may challenge those rules. At the same time, she is developing a sense of her own thoughts and feelings in Volume II as she gains more confidence. As she begins to speak out more and tries to obtain her own wishes, perhaps these poems will speak more to her.